*Whether astrology is science or magic, we’re open to most things, if they may be of benefit. ~ Ed.

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Those who are aligned with universal energy may have been feeling ultra perceptive, intuitive, and extremely sensitive for the past couple of weeks, and will have sensed that Mercury retrograde was creeping in.

This is due to the shadow period that precedes retrograde periods, and as Mercury is now retrograde all of the symptoms associated with it will begin to heighten. 

We may also have noticed that we haven’t been able to sleep deeply, have felt irritable, and have been operating on a “high energetic frequency,” with our lives seeming far more turbulent than usual. Due to sleep deprivation, we may also have felt more confused and edgy than normal, as though we are running on adrenaline, which can cause us to feel achy, overly emotional, argumentative, and irrational.

The reason we are so affected by Mercury is because it has a high density, leading astrologers to believe it is mostly made out of iron. It is similar to a huge magnet orbiting the sun and the closer it gets to Earth, the more of a magnetic “push and pull” effect it has. During Mercury retrograde, the planet is in its closest position to Earth, which is why there are frequent emotional outbursts and many people feel overwhelmed, out of balance, and unstable at times.

Mercury is the ruler of intelligence, the mind, and all forms of communication, and is associated with contracts, listening, learning, negotiating, purchasing, selling, speaking, travel plans, technology, electronics, GPS, and missing items. It is notorious for being a troublemaker while in retrograde, so at this time we can expect the most unexpected and random occurrences to take place. Conversations, interactions, and plans that would normally be straightforward will be full of complications, and anything could break down, malfunction, or seem to explode at any moment.

Although we may feel that every Mercury retrograde brings about the same calamities or disruptions, these planetary phases are each unique due to the positioning of cosmic bodies at the time, and also depending on vibrational levels here on Earth. This time around, Mercury turns retrograde in the constellation of Leo, which means that all of Leo’s traits and characteristics will be enhanced. Regardless what sign we were born under, all zodiac signs will be impacted, although those born while the sun was in Leo or during a Mercury retrograde period will be affected far more strongly.

As Mercury appears to be travelling in reverse motion, it will feel as though our lives have also suddenly halted and then gone into reverse mode, causing everything that can possibly go wrong to go wrong. Every time we make progress, we will find ourselves back where we started as we battle against the force, and we’ll constantly be reminded of our flaws, weaknesses, past mistakes, and unhealed wounds until we choose to confront them.

Mercury rules the past and is nostalgic while in retrograde—it actually travels back over the same degree three times during this period. Therefore, we will find that we also seem to spin in circles, taking one step forward and three back before achieving what we set out to. This is also the reason that many people experience regular déjà vu moments and have frequent dreams about people or situations they are no longer involved with during this time. This is simply our subconscious taking us back over old ground—particularly unresolved issues—so that we reflect and receive a clearer picture of why certain things happened. This enables us to heal and move forward having finally gained closure. 

Mercury retrograde takes us through an intense healing phase that is capable of cleansing all forms of toxins from our lives, including unhealthy habits, extreme behaviours, outdated beliefs, and irrational, fear-based thoughts and feelings that diminish our energy and leave us feeling fraught, anxious, and burnt-out.

Also, any ties that are energetically binding us to people or situations that are detrimental to us or limiting us in any way may be severed during this period, leading us to walk away with peace, love, compassion, and forgiveness in our hearts. In particular, we will feel the urge to remove ourselves from the company of anyone who regularly provokes arguments, shows aggression, is controlling, deceptive, judgmental, or generally disrespectful toward us.

Leo is the sign of the bold, fierce, and courageous lion, and it encourages clear expression and confidence, which will be much-needed as we travel through ups and downs on this Mercury roller-coaster. However, it is important to remember that while this planet is in retrograde we may come across far more aggressive and abrasive than normal, so it is worthwhile to bite our tongue whenever we feel a wave of anger crashing over us.

Majestic Leo emanates healing energy that illuminates any unresolved issues lingering from our past. One of the main wounds we’ll notice during this Leo Mercury retrograde is our fear that we are unworthy and inadequate. The regal Leo has a great desire to feel secure, worshipped, and cherished. If Leos do not receive love and affection in abundance, they may question what they mean to others, along with their self-worth. They like to feel like royalty—the center of attention—and can become demanding, controlling, and possibly even have emotional outbursts if they feel they are being ignored or not adored.

During this retrograde, many of us—especially if we are highly sensitive to cosmic energy—will be influenced by Leo’s dominant characteristics. These characteristics make an appearance so that we recognize and heal the emotional wounds that challenge us within our romantic relationships.

Leo’s energy calls us to courageously open our tender lion’s heart and love ourselves so deeply that we transmute all of our pain and suffering. The pain we will be healing is the pain we feel when we convince ourselves that we are unlovable, unworthy, inadequate, undeserving, and when we behave in destructive ways that create self-fulfilling prophecies causing us to test the ones we love.

One of the main things we will be challenged with through this retrograde is communicating effectively, and specifically the power of listening intently. We will find that the majority of the misunderstandings we experience with other people are either due to us not clearly hearing what the other person was trying to say, or other people not paying close enough attention when we speak.

This will mean that there will likely be many fallouts over the next few weeks, ranging from minor disagreements to explosive break ups, and most of it will seem to erupt out of nowhere, especially with those we are closest to.

Much of the conflict will stem from old emotional wounds—as Mercury retrograde churns up the past—so be prepared for jealousies to surface, insecurities to flare up, and people to trigger painful memories we thought we had already healed, especially if we, or the people we are intimately involved with, are reminiscing about the past. 

It is highly possible that issues we struggled with during our early years will unexpectedly make a reappearance, so we may find ourselves victims of bullying, harsh criticism, and some form of emotional abuse. People may try to manipulate, tease, or gaslight us, or they may provoke us just to find out if we are willing to engage in their low vibrational drama and mind games. 

When we refuse to react and become entangled in other people’s chaotic and toxic behaviours, we take back any power they may once have had over us; doing so allows up to heal the parts of us that once felt hurt and betrayed when people we loved and cared about treated us poorly. Although we will still likely feel sad or disappointed that people behave this way, we will also recognise that it shows immense soul growth to walk away instead of getting sucked back into unhealthy relationships.

Many of the situations in our lives are there because at a soul level we need to gain a deeper understanding and awareness of who we are and who we are allowing into our hearts and minds. Our personal circumstances are reflections of our character, such as our genuine nature, our level of understanding, forgiveness, and acceptance, as well as our oppressed, rejected, or denied personality flaws or unhealed wounds. Therefore, although we may not see it at the time, many of our interactions are blessings that, when acknowledged, can be profound lessons propelling us forward on our unique life path.

During Mercury retrograde it is vital that we remain consciously aware at all times so that we regularly evaluate, empty, release, and cleanse. We are then fully prepared to shake off whatever (or whoever) has been holding us back, and we can move forward on our evolutionary soul journey with the best chance of attaining happiness, harmony, pure love, and genuine heart-centred connections.

If we attune to Mercury’s healing energy, we will no longer attract friendships or relationships with those who wish to cause us trouble or harm, as we have learned the hard way that the more fearlessly we love ourselves, the more peace, pleasure, and love we will attract in return.

The overall message during this retrograde is to bravely open our hearts and choose love, despite our fears, so that our past has the chance to heal and we can move forward with acceptance, gratitude, and compassion. We will then find that the universe kindly rewards us by offering an abundance of opportunities to give and receive love with authentic souls who reciprocate our values and feelings.

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